


Your Love

by mikaylawrites



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Pre-Canon, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:21:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23913727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikaylawrites/pseuds/mikaylawrites
Summary: "Yes, I do. Of course I do." The first time Robert tells Cora he loves her.
Relationships: Cora Crawley/Robert Crawley
Comments: 1
Kudos: 24





	Your Love

During her first few months at Downton, Cora dreaded eating dinner. It had nothing to do with the food; rather, it was the other people at the table who made her feel painfully awkward. First there was Violet, who seemed to watch Cora’s every move, as if she were waiting for her to make some terrible error. Judging by the way her mother-in-law’s gaze would dart away whenever Cora looked up at her, her hunch was probably not far from the truth. Patrick and Rosamund were kind enough, but they often wanted to converse about people Cora did not know who lived in places she had never been, leaving her quite out of the loop. And then, there was Robert.

Oh, Robert. At first, he had not been much better than the rest of his family. He seemed to have no idea how to engage this new American wife of his in conversation, so he did not try. She often caught him glancing at her as they ate, looking almost apologetic. As time went on, however, their relationship began to grow more comfortable. They sought each other’s company throughout the day, going on long walks through the grounds and discussing any topic they could think of. Robert was so different from the other men that had tried to court her in that he listened and seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say. He could make her laugh like no one else and they soon developed many inside jokes that never failed to make her giggle. Dinner became somewhat of a game between them, as they held their own private conversations with inconspicuous gestures and facial expressions. Robert may not have reciprocated her love, but she could at least go down to dinner each night knowing she had a friend. 

On this particular night the Crawleys had guests, some distant relations of Violet’s. Cora found herself seated between the family’s sullen teenage son and his overbearing mother, neither of whom made for good conversation. Her only stroke of luck was that she had been seated across from Robert. 

Robert was seated next to Emily, the oldest of the family’s children. She was just a year younger than Rosamund, and the two of them would both be coming out this season, or so Cora had heard her tell Robert. This was just one of a great many things Emily had told Robert that night. She seemed rather infatuated with him, hanging on his every word, doing her best to engage him in a new topic every time he turned to speak to Rosamund. A few months ago, this would have bothered Cora immensely. Now, however, it was rather funny to watch their interactions. 

“Are you looking forward to the season?” Emily asked, just as Robert was trying to escape the conversation. 

“It should be exciting for Rosamund, but I’m afraid there’s not much to offer for a married man,” he replied.

Emily visibly deflated. “Oh yes of course, what a shame that you’re married.” She practically spat the last word, eyeing Cora across the table as if she had only just remembered she existed. Cora quickly averted her gaze, shoving a forkful of food into her mouth to keep from laughing. Emily turned to speak to her father, seemingly losing her interest in Robert for the moment.

When Cora looked up at Robert again, he was already looking at her. She glanced at Emily, then back to Robert, her eyebrows raised suggestively. Robert rolled his eyes.

Should I be worried? she mouthed.

Robert smiled, shaking his head slightly. Never, he mouthed in response. 

After dinner, Cora found herself locked in a conversation with Rosamund and Emily, the two younger women interrogating her about her season the previous year. When the men came through to the drawing room, Cora searched for Robert, as she always did. She found that she was more relaxed whenever they were in the same room, even if they were not near one another. Her eyes met his almost immediately; he must have been looking for her too. The realization made her pulse quicken. As Robert walked past her to speak to his mother, he reached out a hand and squeezed hers briefly before letting go. It was a small gesture that neither of the women she was conversing with even noticed, but it left her smiling for the rest of the evening. 

Later, when Cora had dismissed Walker for the night, Robert knocked on their adjoining door. Despite the fact that they had been man and wife for nearly a year, he still made sure that she was decent before entering her room. 

“Come in,” she called from her dressing table. He was smiling when he came through the door. It was a genuine smile she had grown rather used to seeing, one that told her how delighted he was to be in her presence. Cora stood, moving toward him.

“Thank goodness, you’re finally here. I was worried you would end up in Emily’s room tonight,” she teased, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Robert snorted. “Very funny. You know I’m all for a strong woman, I really am, but I pray for the man that marries that girl.”

“Good thing that you’re already married,” Cora put the same emphasis on the word as Emily had, earning a laugh from Robert.

“Why yes, yes I am,” he murmured, leaning down to kiss her. 

All humor was cast aside as their kiss deepened, Robert making quick work of undoing her braid so he could bury his fingers in her hair. Her nightgown and underthings were the next to go, until she stood naked before him, the back of her thighs pressed against the end of the bed. He guided her down until she was laying in the center of the bed, him straddling her hips. His mouth found the delicate skin of her neck, sucking gently. 

“Do you think it bothers Walker to know that she puts me in this nightgown every night only for you to take it off as soon as she leaves?” she asked, unbuttoning his shirt.

Robert lifted his head from her neck, smiling. “I don’t know, shall we call her in to ask?”

“Perhaps not, I don’t think your mother would be pleased if we have to find me a new lady’s maid.” Cora tugged at the waistband of Robert pajamas. 

He got the hint, momentarily rising from the bed so he could rid himself of his last article of clothing. “Do me favor,” he said as he positioned himself above her. “Please never mention my mother in bed again.”

Cora laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck once again. He pressed kisses on her clavicle, the tops of her breasts, pausing momentarily so he could look up into her eyes. The tenderness in his expression lit a fire in her core. If she squinted, she could almost pretend it was love.

“Robert,” she murmured. “I need you inside me.”

He groaned softly at her boldness but did not ask for further encouragement. Easing himself inside of her, he waited for her nod before he began to move. His pace was slow yet deliberate. He was looking at her again, and she whimpered at the intensity of his gaze. She brought her mouth to his, and he moaned against her lips. He reached down a hand to caress her in the sensitive spot just above where their bodies met, making her hiss with pleasure. Cora could not say how long he moved inside of her, but before she knew what was happening her walls began to clench around him. Robert waited until he was sure she found her release before letting go himself. When it was over, he wrapped his arms around her, rolling them so that she was pressed against his chest. Their hearts beat against one another as they caught their breath. 

It was a recent addition, his staying in her bed after they made love. Truly, it was only recently that she could call what they did at night “making love.” In the beginning it was always a quick affair; he would climb on top of her and return to his own bed as soon as he was done, an awkward kiss his only parting gift. Yes, he was gentle and kind even then, but the lack of true intimacy left her wanting in more ways than one. Over the past few months, however, they had become more at ease with one another, finding more ways to explore each other’s bodies in a way that was mutually pleasurable. Cora was certain she would always remember the night she first found her release with him; he had held her after, letting her fall asleep in his arms before going back to his bed. It became more and more frequent that he would stay with her after making love, until one night he reasoned that it hardly made sense that he go back to his own room, when there was a perfectly good bed in this room that was already warm. 

Her bed was certainly warm tonight, as she lay wrapped in Robert’s arms, the bare skin of his chest pleasantly heated against her own. His hand stroked her hair, causing a shiver down her spine. 

“Are you enjoying this, darling?” It seemed to please him greatly to know the effect he had on her. 

She stretched against him like a cat, squealing as her muscles tensed. Craning her neck, she placed a kiss on his jaw as an answer. 

He laughed, kissing her forehead head in return. “God, I love you.”

“You do?” Cora was upright in an instant, her pulse suddenly hammering in her ears. She stared at him incredulously. Had he really just said that?

Robert looked as if he’d been slapped. Cora could practically see the cogs turning in his mind as he sat up, processing the weight of his words. She steeled herself for him to take it back, explaining that he meant she was lovely or that he loved being with her. While those things were nice, they weren’t what she wanted. 

To her complete surprise, a smile spread across Robert’s face. “Yes, I do. Of course, I do,” he reached out a hand, grasping one of hers. She hoped he didn’t notice how she was trembling. “I’m only sorry I didn’t say it sooner.”

Cora’s heart was beating so loudly she was certain Robert could hear it. This was the moment she had waited for, dreamed of, for nearly a year. In her mind she had always imagined some grand gesture, a scene taken from the pages of an Austen novel. Yet she knew now that this was perfect, his quiet declaration in their marriage bed. Without warning, her eyes began to well with tears. 

Concern flashed across Robert’s face. “Have I said something wrong?”

“No, no,” she shook her head, willing herself not to cry. “It’s just that I love you too.”

“Well then, there’s no need for these, is there?” he murmured, cupping her face with his free hand and using his thumb to wipe away the tears that had fallen. Bringing their joined hands up to his mouth, he pressed his lips to her knuckles, maintaining soft eye contact with her as he did so. Cora felt a warmth spread through her chest that had nothing to do with the temperature of the room. 

Releasing her hand, Robert laid back down, motioning for her to join. She curled into his side, her head pillowed on his chest. He reached his arm around her so he could place a hand on her back, his blunt nails scratching softly. 

“You know, when Emily said what a shame it was that I’m married, I couldn’t help but think how wrong she was. How incredibly lucky I am to be your husband. I hope I have made you happy as you’ve made me,” Robert said as he lay his cheek on the top of her head. 

“Oh Robert,” she sighed. “Nothing could make me happier than being your wife.” 

“I love you, Cora,” he murmured, stifling a yawn. 

“I love you too.” She was sure she’d never grow tired of being able to say those words aloud. 

Robert extended an arm to turn out the lamp, bathing the room in darkness. He returned his hand to her back, rubbing circles on her bare shoulders. Cora listened as his breathing evened out, feeling the steady thrum of his heartbeat against her cheek. She stayed awake for a while longer, trying desperately to commit this night to her memory. When she finally closed her eyes it only took her a few moments to drift off, easing into her best night’s sleep in nearly a year.


End file.
